


know in your heart it will be worth it

by cjmasim



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: China, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 20:56:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17454179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cjmasim/pseuds/cjmasim
Summary: "So, I'm going to China with Sean," he says as soon as he and Torey have gotten a table."China? Really? That's awesome!" Torey says. "Hey, I went there last year with Pasta and Tuukka, and it was a lot of fun!"Danton is sure it was, but he's not really concerned with whether or not China is a fun tourist destination. "That's what I thought until I learned I was going withSean," he says, even though he knows Torey isn't going to know what he means."What's wrong with Sean?" Torey asks, narrowing his eyes. "I thought you two–""Nothing, nothing," Danton says, "and that's the problem. I kind of - have a thing for him."





	know in your heart it will be worth it

**Author's Note:**

  * For [goldenpuno](https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenpuno/gifts).



> This fic has been brewing for as long as Kureinen has been a ship, so it's great to finally get it out there! Special thanks to Therese (aka the Danton to my Sean) for helping with the Mandarin and encouraging me; this fic is for the entire aitch gang but especially you <3
> 
> The title is from Aquaman by Walk the Moon. It seems fitting to use a band from Ohio for a fic featuring Sean, doesn't it?
> 
> As usual, if you or someone you know personally is represented in this fic, you have better things to do than read this fic, so go do them. 
> 
> Enjoy!

If there's one thing that Danton has learned over the years, it's that playoff losses never get easier to deal with. He's already been through enough of them, in juniors, in college, in Providence, and now in his first season with Boston. He hadn't really expected to win the Cup as a rookie, no one does, but after game seven against the Leafs, well - even with all the injuries, anything had seemed possible. If they could come back after nearly blowing the series, even after trailing in game seven, why couldn't they come back to beat Tampa?

He knows the rest of the team had felt the same way. It's breakup day now, and even two full days after the loss, the silence in the locker room is oppressive. Media availability hasn't started yet, but no one is talking, not even Pasta or Jake. It's awkward, as if no one knows how to talk to one another now that the season's over. Danton wants to put his earbuds in and drown it out, but he knows he doesn't have much time before the reporters come to talk to them. 

Sure enough, the reporters start to file in before Danton can even start to grab his earbuds. He looks around the room, wondering who they'll talk to first, and Sean catches his eye. Despite the mood, Sean smiles instantly. It's warm and reassuring, everything that the locker room is not right now, and Danton smiles back instinctually.

Sean turns away, returning to his packing. Danton looks back to the reporters, seeing that they've decided to start with Bergy, and lets his mind wander as he packs his own gear.

The thing about Sean is that he's unlike anyone Danton has ever played with. He's young and new to the league, just like Danton and several others, but he's the oldest of the rookies. He's like all the Bruins' young guys in his genuine excitement at getting to play the game, yet it's balanced with almost as much maturity as the team's veterans. He's kind, and he's honest, about both his game and his life. He's not afraid to seek support when he's feeling down about his game, nor is he hesitant to offer it; Danton's been on the receiving end of that many times. He's also the only openly gay guy Danton's ever played with.

Danton knows there are plenty of gay guys in hockey; he's played with a few who were out only to those they trusted most. He's never known anyone to come out to the whole team, though, and the fact that Sean did it as soon as he arrived in the locker room in Providence, before he even really knew anybody on the team, makes him braver than anyone Danton's ever met. 

Perhaps that was what drew Danton to him in the first place, or maybe it was their shared experience with NCHC hockey, or maybe it was just his infectious personality. Either way, they became fast friends in development camp and even closer in Providence, and having made the team in Boston around the same time only solidified their friendship even further. Everyone on the team knows that they're best friends - Torey's even said that they're as close as Brad and Patrice. They hang out almost every single day, share a room on the road, sit next to each other on the team plane. 

Despite all of this, Danton still hasn't come out to him. Which, granted, he hasn't come out to anyone outside of his family; it's not like he's dated anyone, so he hasn’t had any real need to tell anyone. He knows the guys would all support him - Sean's made that clear - and Sean would probably be glad not to be the only one. He's not scared that Sean or the others won't support him; he's scared of everything else.

 _Everything else_ being the way that Sean looks at him like he's the only person in the world, even though Danton knows he does it to everyone because he's just so nice and wants everyone to feel included, the way he'll laugh at Danton's jokes even when they're lame, the way he's so caring and patient with all the kids they work with at charity events. Danton's fallen hard, and he doesn't want Sean to think it's just because he's the only openly gay guy on the team. Sean would probably never date a teammate, anyway, not with all the complications that could bring. It's better for him to just assume Danton is straight; that way, he'll never find out.

Sean is a great guy, and Danton knows that if he were to find out, he'd probably be pretty chill about it. He might be a little weirded out, as anyone is when someone has an unrequited crush on them, but he'd still talk to Danton and hang out with him. Probably. Danton doesn't know, and that's the problem, isn't it? What if he were to find out, and even if he tries to be nice about it, things just become awkward? Sean's the best friend Danton's made on the Bruins, and he doesn't know what he would do if he lost him. Sure, the other young guys are great, and Torey's super supportive, and he's enjoyed the time he's spent with Ryan since he signed, but Sean is just – _Sean_ , and Danton isn't willing to risk that.

-

Eventually, the reporters make their way to him, and after his exit interview, one of the PR employees tells him that Sweeney wants to speak with him. Danton isn't sure whether this is a standard breakup day procedure or not, but he agrees to go anyway, not that he really has a choice. He just hopes it's too early in his career to be traded.

"Hello, Danton," Sweeney greets him, and holds out a hand to shake. Danton takes it and returns the greeting, thinking that Sweeney seems to be in a reasonably good mood, given the circumstances. He's _probably_ not about to be traded. "You've seen the news about our China trip, yes?"

Danton nods. This isn't where he'd been expecting the conversation to go.

"Well, as you probably know, the past two summers we've sent a couple representatives from the team to China. This season, of course, the whole team will be going, but we still intend to send two players ahead of everyone else in mid-July. This will include a lot of sightseeing and we won't be expecting too much, just a few hockey clinics for the children over there and a couple press conferences. Some social media too, of course. We'd like for you to be one of the players to go to China early. You can bring a guest as well; I don't know whether you have a girlfriend, but you could bring a sibling or even a friend if you'd prefer. Is that alright with you?"

"Sure," Danton answers without hesitation. He doesn't really need to think about it; he'd already been excited to go to China, having had limited travel experience in his life so far, and if the team wants him to do it, he has no real reason not to. "I'd love to," he adds, smiling, making sure not to sound too casual.

"Excellent," Sweeney says. "We've already spoken to Sean-" Danton's heart skips a beat, "-and he agreed as well, so the two of you will head out to Beijing in mid-July and stay for ten days. We'll email you the itinerary and further details, of course. Thank you, Danton, and enjoy the offseason."

Danton reaches out to shake Sweeney's hand again, smiling and trying not to let him see that Danton is freaking out internally. Why does it have to be Sean? Why couldn't it be someone else, why not literally any of the teammates that Danton is confident he can act normal around? Being in such close quarters with Sean, with no other teammates to act as a buffer - how is he going to keep his composure?

He should've just said no.

-

When he gets back to the locker room to pick up his bag, Torey is waiting at his stall to ask him out for lunch. Danton agrees, of course, since Torey is one of his best friends on the team, and given what he's just learned, he needs to vent to someone. He hadn't planned on coming out to any of his teammates, not when there's no real need, but he knows he has nothing to fear, and really, it’s not like it has to be a big thing.

"So, I'm going to China with Sean," he says as soon as he and Torey have gotten a table.

"China? Really? That's awesome!" Torey says. "Hey, I went there last year with Pasta and Tuukka, and it was a lot of fun!"

Danton is sure it was, but he's not really concerned with whether or not China is a fun tourist destination. "That's what I thought until I learned I was going with _Sean_ ," he says, even though he knows Torey isn't going to know what he means.

"What's wrong with Sean?" Torey asks, narrowing his eyes. "I thought you two–"

"Nothing, nothing," Danton says, "and that's the problem. I kind of - have a thing for him."

Torey's eyes widen. "Oh," he says, leaving it at that.

"Yeah," Danton says lamely.

"I don't see how this is a bad thing," Torey continues. "Maybe some time alone in a place where most people won't recognize you is a good thing."

Danton sputters. "Are you - he wouldn't -"

"Wouldn't what? He flirts with you all the time."

Danton can feel himself blushing, and he tries to tone it down. "He's just being nice, he's not - it doesn't - jeez, it doesn't _mean anything_."

Torey raises an eyebrow. "You really shouldn't assume that. See, as a neutral party, he totally has a thing for you, too. Probably just doesn't want to make the first move."

"And why wouldn't he?" Danton laughs humorlessly. "He's probably the most confident guy on the team, I'm sure he can - well…" He trails off, realizing what Torey's really saying. Sean probably doesn't want to make a move on a guy who he thinks is straight; there are too many ways that could go wrong. He says as much, and Torey cracks a smile.

"Glad I didn't have to spell it out for you," he says. "So, what are you going to do?"

"Uh…" Danton blanks. He's not really the type to make the first move, ever, unless it's just in hockey.

"I'm not telling you to prepare an elaborate proposal at the Great Wall or anything," Torey says, and Danton starts blushing at the very thought. "Just do _something_. Come out to him at the very least. I mean, you know he won't judge you, and you told me, so…"

Danton nods. He knows Torey's right, but - "What if he thinks I'm coming onto him?"

"What?"

"What if he thinks the only reason I'm coming out to him is because I'm trying to make a move?" Technically, he wouldn't be wrong, but Danton can only handle one awkward conversation a day at most. 

"I really don't think that's what he'll think," Torey says. 

Danton still isn't convinced, but he doesn't know what else to say, so he just says nothing. Eventually, Torey changes the subject, beginning to tell Danton about his own summer plans, and Danton pretends to listen while he mulls over Torey's words. 

-

The first part of the offseason passes quickly, even though Danton doesn't do much other than hang out with his family and friends from back home. He texts most of the guys occasionally, and Torey, Ryan, and Sean even call him a few times. He gets plenty of chirps about his lack of a tan, even though he's spent plenty of time outside, and he makes a resolution to get Marchy to give him lessons in chirping. He's not bad at it, per se, but his comebacks could certainly use some work. 

He's glad to see Sean again, and judging by the wide smile on his face and the tight hug he pulls him into, Sean is glad to see him again, too. It's early in the morning, and Danton skipped coffee in the hopes that he'd be able to sleep on the plane, but he feels much more awake now that he's with Sean again. Clearly, the time apart hadn't done him any favors.

They start the ride to China by getting to know everyone on the trip. PJ Stock seems like a fun guy to be around; Danton might not have to ask Marchy about those chirping lessons if he spends enough time with him. He meets Sean's brother Nick, too, and the guy's young, barely an adult, but he seems nice, and tells Danton he loves to watch him play. Nick hits it off well with Cody, and Stock sticks close to Jay Leach, leaving Danton and Sean alone in their section of the plane. 

"Should we watch a movie or something?" Danton asks. He still hasn't quite mastered the art of sleeping on a plane, but he's hopeful that the right movie will get him to pass out soon enough. 

Sean gives him a look, and laughs a little, probably at the blanket Danton's already wrapped around himself. He must look ridiculous, but he's too tired to care.

"Whatever you want," Sean answers.

-

The hotel is pretty standard for an NHL player, though a year ago, Danton would've been floored. One perk, however, is that they each get a room to themselves. He's going to have a hard enough time trying to act normal around Sean on this trip; he's thankful they don't have a shared hotel room to make his life even harder. 

They don't stray far from the hotel; it's not terribly late, but they're all jet lagged and need to get some rest before their activities begin tomorrow, so they find a nice restaurant right by the hotel and elect to eat there. Danton finds himself sitting directly next to Sean, naturally, with Cody on his other side. 

He's already been warned about the food, but this is nothing like the Chinese food he's used to getting in North America. There isn't much on the menu that he's ever tried - and he's from BC, so he can only imagine what it's like for Sean.

"I don't know what any of this stuff is," Sean laughs, almost as if he'd been reading Danton's mind. 

"No authentic Chinese food in Ohio? Must not be the greatest state after all, then," Danton chirps.

"Just because you said that, you have to try something new," Sean says, and Danton shrugs. 

"I'll let you pick for me," he says, raising an eyebrow and smirking a little, even as he knows it might be a mistake. Belatedly, he realizes that this probably counts as flirting, and he isn't quite sure what to make of that. Neither is Sean, who appears to be - blushing? It's probably just the lighting, Danton reasons. Sean doesn't _blush_.

Sean ends up ordering a full duck platter for the two of them to split, claiming that he doesn't want to subject Danton to something that might be horrible without going through the same thing himself, and Danton is sure he just secretly wanted to try it - there were far less appealing options on the menu, after all - but his heart flutters nonetheless. 

He's more than a little skeptical, but part of the point of this trip is to have an open mind, so Danton dives right in. The duck feet are a little weird - they taste fine, it's just the knowledge of what they are - but the liver is actually very good. He could see himself eating this on a more regular basis, if he could find a decent place in North America to get it.

"See?" He tells Sean, grinning. "I should let you pick for me more often."

He knows it sounds like he's flirting, but really, that's not his intention. Either way, Torey would be proud. 

-

They spend the first few days just exploring Beijing as a group. Danton doesn't get much alone time with Sean, but he's fine with that; it's better not to embarrass himself. He's definitely not _trying_ to stick to his brother's side, but Cody is most interested in spending time with him, he assumes, and - okay, he's not _avoiding_ Sean, but _maybe_ he's avoiding being alone with Sean. 

By the time they see Tiananmen Square, Cody's onto him, and as they're leaving, he falls behind the group, motioning to Danton to walk with him. 

"Why are you avoiding Sean?"

"I'm not," Danton insists, and Cody gives him a look.

"Do you like him?"

"Of course," Danton says, grinning, just because he can't miss an opportunity to annoy his older brother. 

"You know that's not what I meant," Cody says, rolling his eyes.

Danton doesn't say anything, not really wanting to admit it to someone who will not hesitate to tease him relentlessly, but he knows Cody gets it. 

"Danny has a crush," Cody sings, laughing as Danton's face turns bright red. Luckily, they're far enough behind the others and the city is loud enough that Sean couldn't possibly hear him. 

"Shut up," Danton mumbles, not denying it. 

"Really, though," Cody says a moment later, the laughter gone from his voice. "Why are you avoiding him? I bet he's into you."

"You bet," Danton says. 

"Well, I don't really _know_ him," Cody says, "but yeah, why wouldn't he be? Just talk to him, man."

If only it were that easy.

-

The next day brings the first of the hockey clinics they put on, and the Bruins media team is set on making sure Danton and Sean spend at least some of that time together. Danton isn't too worried; he's been in close proximity to Sean in the context of hockey many times before, so this should be a lot easier than exploring Beijing with him. 

Of course, he doesn't use his fucking brain to realize that this entire event would be full of children. Which is fine, great, even - Danton loves kids. It's just that Sean is so good with the kids, and it awakens so many thoughts and feelings that Danton really doesn't want to be having on the ice. This is _not_ the time or place to be thinking about what Sean would be like as a father, and even as he pushes those thoughts away, Danton's still overcome with fondness. He tries to focus on helping the kids, watching as Sean helps his own set of kids, congratulating them with a Mandarin phrase one of them must have taught him. Eventually, they have a quick break, and Sean skates up to him. Danton can see the cameras on them, so he tries to act casual.

"What does that mean?" He asks, looking over at Sean. He's leaning against the net, legs spread out in a way that Danton can hardly believe he's doing in front of a camera, but he supposes Sean's just like that.

"Good job," Sean says, smiling at him, and Danton has to look down and try not to blush. He's becoming an actual wreck in front of Sean and if he doesn't hurry up and do something about it -

"Soon enough you'll be teaching me Mandarin," he says, grinning back at Sean even as he knows he's blushing a little.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Sean laughs. "You look pretty good out there with the kids, Dan. You'd make a great coach some day."

Danton blushes harder, looking back at Sean. "Are you sure?" 

Sean's smile widens, and he nods. "Gàn de hǎo," he says, and this time, Danton knows what he's saying. He turns away, hiding his face behind his glove until he's sure they'll cut the footage. 

-

Danton's already taken his shirt off and is about to get into bed that night when he hears a knock on his door. He doesn't bother to put a shirt back on, but when he opens the door to see Sean standing there, still fully clothed, he wishes he had.

"Hey," Sean says, smiling weakly. "I apparently forgot my card key inside my room, and, uh, I don't really feel like bothering with the front desk right now, because I'm tired and it's late and just - can I stay here for the night?"

"Yeah, of course," Danton says, opening the door wider and letting him in even as his mind is screaming at him that this is a terrible idea. The room only has one bed.

"I can take the chair," Sean offers, and Danton thinks it would be so much easier to just let him do it, but he can't just let Sean sleep on an uncomfortable chair when there's an entire king-sized bed in the room. 

"We can share," he offers, and Sean's eyes light up like he'd been hoping Danton would say that. "Uh, I was about to go to sleep, but I can put a shirt on and-"

"No!" Sean says, a little too enthusiastically, blushing, and Danton doesn't even know how to process this. "I mean - you don't have to, really, it's fine, I wasn't going to wear one either - unless you're not comfortable with that, I mean-"

"You're fine," Danton manages, his voice catching a little. He gets into bed, trying to escape the awkwardness as much as he can, and Sean gets ready before joining him. 

Danton stays close to the edge of the bed, and Sean does the same, leaving plenty of room between them. It's different, Danton thinks, to see Sean acting so – _shy_ , almost. But he's shared beds with teammates before, and he knows being gay makes that a much scarier experience; he can only imagine the effect is amplified for someone who's actually out. He feels bad, suddenly, for not having told Sean the truth, but he's not sure now is really the right time. They're in bed together, both shirtless, and what if it just sounds like he's coming onto him?

He thinks back to what Torey had said, and how he knows Sean must be feeling right now, and decides that for once, he's going to have to be the brave one. 

"Hey," he says, and Sean makes a noise to indicate that he's listening. They should probably be face to face for this conversation, so Danton sits up, and Sean mimics him. "I, uh, kinda think I should tell you something."

Sean furrows his eyebrow, and Danton realizes he probably looks very anxious; he feels bad already for making Sean worry. "Everything okay?" 

"Yeah, yeah," Danton says. He's losing his nerve, can feel it slipping away, so he just - "I'm gay."

Sean blinks. "Uh."

"Sorry, that was, uh - I just thought you should know?" Danton says, wincing at how unsure he sounds. "I don't know, you seemed awkward, and I've been there, and I just thought you should know you're not the only one here."

"That's, um - wow," Sean says, smiling, and looking more relaxed already. "Sorry, I was just surprised at first, but I am glad to know that. Thanks for telling me, Dan."

Danton smiles back, not saying anything else, and after a moment of slightly less awkward silence, he lies down again. Sean does the same, and turns off the lamp next to his side of the bed. 

He doesn't move any closer.

-

Danton wakes up to find that Sean had moved closer throughout the night, and they're not quite cuddling, but Sean's head is resting against Danton's shoulder. He takes a moment to take in the scene, but forces himself to pull away much sooner than he wants to. There's no use getting caught up in something that probably isn't ever going to happen, and committing this scene to memory is not going to help him get over Sean. 

Sean doesn't wake up, thankfully, though by the time Danton gets out of the shower, fully clothed, he's sitting up in bed and scrolling through his phone. He doesn't say anything, and neither does Danton.

The rest of the day isn't awkward, exactly, but it's not quite normal either. Sean's acting different, almost more reserved, like he had been all of last night. Danton knows he's not being homophobic, so he assumes Sean must have figured out Danton's feelings. He probably just doesn't want to outright reject Danton and make things even more awkward; he doesn't like it, but Danton gets it. 

"Of course he knows," he tells Cody when he corners him. "Do you see how he's avoiding me?"

"Dude, you just came out to him last night," Cody tells him. "I'm sure he's feeling pretty weird about knowing he's not alone, right? Or maybe, you know…"

"What?"

"Maybe he's just reevaluating his feelings for you. Since you're a viable option now," Cody shrugs.

"What?" Danton laughs. "No, there's no way - we're teammates, that wouldn't…" He has to admit that his brother has a point. He still doubts that Sean actually has feelings for him – Danton's sure he isn't as subtle as he wishes he were, and besides, wouldn't Sean have just told him? - but hypothetically speaking, if he _did_ have feelings for Danton, he probably would feel pretty awkward right now. It's... not out of the realm of possibility, he thinks. 

"Seriously, please just talk to him," Cody says, and Danton doesn't try to fight it this time. He isn't necessarily going to actually do it, but maybe he should.

"We'll see," is all he says. 

-

Danton really doesn't like cameras, and at the Great Wall, they're everywhere. He isn't sure if this is just going on the website or Behind the B or who knows what else, but either way, it's not really the ideal environment for a serious conversation about, well, things that the public definitely can't know about just yet. 

It's hard to act friendly with Sean in front of the camera when Sean isn't being his usual self, though, so in between filming, he pulls Sean aside and stops in a secluded area along the wall.

"What's been up with you these last two days?" He asks, going straight to the point. Sean looks a little uncomfortable, though whether from the question or the humidity, Danton's not entirely sure. Probably both. 

"I'm just… thinking about things, I guess," Sean says, answering the question without really answering it at all. 

"Is it because I came out to you?" Danton asks. "I know it's not - homophobia, or whatever, but…"

"Yeah," Sean admits, sighing. Danton's surprised, had expected it to take longer to get it out of him, or maybe that he'd be wrong and there really was just something else bothering him. "It's not you, though, I promise."

"Just tell me what it is," Danton says, even as he's starting to sweat more than he already had been. 

Sean looks away, gazing at the scenery, and Danton lets him. He doesn't know what Sean's about to say; a small part of him thinks he has a good guess, but he doesn't want to get his hopes up. Still, there's a sort of tension in the air, like something big is about to happen, and if Sean needs his time, then so be it. 

"Just promise you won't freak out," Sean says eventually, and Danton nods.

"Of course not," he says, even though it's not the kind of thing one can really promise. "I won't judge you," he adds, trying to be encouraging.

Sean blushes, looking away again, but eventually, he speaks. "I like you," he says simply. "It didn't matter before, since I assumed you were straight. I mean, I hoped, and had a feeling, I think, somewhere, but you know, we don't assume these things. Anyway, when you came out to me, I guess the possibility became a lot more real, and my feelings just - jumped out, really. I didn't want to weird you out, or come on too strong. I don't expect you to feel the same or whatever, just-"

"I do," Danton says, cutting him off. "I do feel the same." He laughs, half out of disbelief, half out of pure joy. "I thought you'd figured out that I liked you and felt weird about it."

Sean's eyes widen, and Danton can tell he really hadn't been expecting that, but he's smiling, and Danton has to smile back. 

"Should we do this?" Sean asks, looking around to confirm that none of their group members can see them.

Danton leans in, and Sean follows. His lips are kind of dry, and objectively, it's not the best kiss, but the feeling of kissing Sean, of finally doing what he's been dreaming of for so long, is almost more than he can handle. Sean kisses him with no hesitation, like he's been wanting this as long as Danton has, and it's soft, neither of them furthering the kiss given the circumstances. They break apart after only a few seconds, and Danton wants to lean back in for another, but they're in public, and there are cameras.

"We should do that more often," Sean says, a little breathless, his cheeks pink.

Danton nods earnestly. "Yeah," he says. "Definitely."

-

They don't get to do anything else that day, but as soon as the rest of the group catches up with them, Cody gives Danton a knowing look. He knows there aren't any obvious physical signs - they hadn't been making out, not yet - but he still can't stop himself from smiling, and from the looks of it, neither can Sean. 

Danton sticks close to Sean for the rest of the day, though not so close as to raise anyone's suspicions. They spend a few more hours at the Great Wall, and Danton's always wanted to see it, so it's nice. It's even better getting to experience it with Sean, especially considering that this is technically their first date, but it's hot and humid and once he's gotten the gist of what the wall is like, he finds himself counting down the hours until he can get Sean alone in the hotel room. 

Finally, after a day that only seems longer in the intense heat, they're alone in Danton's hotel room. Sean's on top of him, and they're kissing. It's deeper than before, and they're taking their time. Sean's running a hand through Danton's hair, and as their kisses become more and more heated, he starts to tug on it a little. Danton lets out a noise that's not quite a moan, but it's getting there, and Sean pulls back a little.

"Do you want to?" He asks, and though he doesn't clarify, Danton knows what he means.

"Please," he says, reaching his hands down to pull Sean's shirt off. Sean lets him, reaching down to take his own pants off, and soon, he's taking off Danton's clothes as well.

"You want to bottom?" Sean asks, and Danton nods once again. 

"You can next time," he says, and Sean raises an eyebrow even as he's taking off Danton' s pants.

"Next time?" Sean asks in between kissing him again. "I like the sound of that."

-

The rest of the trip feels more like a romantic getaway than a work obligation, even with their brothers and everyone else around, and by the time it comes to an end, Danton already misses China before they even board the plane. He'll probably be back, if not with the team for the preseason, then another summer. (Or, a small part of his mind supplies, for a romantic anniversary vacation with Sean one day - but it's far too early to be thinking like that.)

They spend the flight watching movies and dozing off together, much like before, only this time, there's a mutual understanding that things are going to be different. Danton had known that, at least in some capacity, the minute he'd found out about Sean going to China with him, had known that there was no way he could spend so much time with Sean without something happening, especially after his conversation with Torey. He hadn't expected _this_ to happen, but he's glad it did. 

"This season's going to be great," Sean says to him shortly before dozing off again, his head resting on Danton's shoulder. Danton just smiles down at him, not bothering to reply, knowing that Sean is right.

**Author's Note:**

> [This](https://www.nhl.com/video/heinen-and-kuraly-in-beijing/t-277350912/c%E2%80%9360787203) is the video of the hockey clinic mentioned in the fic. It's adorable and one of the clips that started this whole ship, so definitely consider watching that.
> 
> Feel free to follow me on [tumblr](http://cjmasim.tumblr.com)!


End file.
